New York Daily Photo Analytics

Thursday, August 16, 2007

High Line Portrait Project

I ran across this display unexpectedly while carousing Chelsea on 10th Avenue near the High Line - a 1.45 mile elevated rail structure running through the Westside of Manhattan from the Meatpacking District all the way to 30th Street. Click here to see a short film. This rail line was originally built in the 1930s to elevate trains from the city streets. The line, which has been unused since 1980 and leaving an abandoned elevated structure overgrown with weeds, is being converted to a huge park to open in 2008. Until recently, the High Line has been unknown to many New Yorkers and visitors but this unique project promises to be a major contribution to parkland and quality of life in the city. It can be easily seen overhead on 10th Avenue in Chelsea. From the projects website: "The High Line Portrait Project was inspired by the many High Line supporters who have helped bring the project from an unlikely dream to a reality. When Friends of the High Line was founded in 1999, the High Line was a rusty industrial relic under threat of demolition. Now construction is underway to transform the structure into a one-of-a-kind public open space, the first section of which is expected to open in 2008. Photographer Tom Kletecka created portraits of more than 800 High Line supporters in front of a backdrop by Joel Sternfeld. Each participant was asked to share his or her dream." Click here to go to their site to view the photos ...

4 comments:

Waldo Oiseau said...

Very cool! I've read several articles about plans for the High Line; glad to see that it's underway!

Anonymous said...

Wow! New York it is fatnastic place, you can always find something huge, abanonded and nice! How such places can be forgotten ? :)
In my city it isn't possible to find something like this :)
I need to move to New York City! :D
you can walk there, and incidentally detect some entry to ghost station or anything else like this..
Like quest in Stone Jungle :)

High Line remembers me one of the greatest world wonders http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_Gardens_of_Babylon

Brian Dubé said...

Yes - Walking in NYC is a continuous adventure - things change every day and new things can be found routinely.

• Eliane • said...

Oh wow! I need to swing by that area. Impressive wall. I saw the highline from a building nearby, an auction house which I forgot the name of. It was during Open House New York, I believe two years ago. The architects and landscape designers were presenting the projects of the transformation. It's really going to be something.